IN A NUTSHELL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3017, 10 January 1912, Page 53

IN A NUTSHELL.

Walnut has been sold to a patron of C Willett’s stable. Penates appears, to be about finished as a. racing piroivisition. The Wairio Jockey Club hold their annual meeting to-day. The death is reported from Australia of Mr H. W. Hoa gland, tho well-known equine dentist. Counterfeit, Masterpiece, Miss Mischief, Midnight Sun,- and Bvron are the ruling favourites for the Wellington Cup.

Perm, by Stepniak—Armilla, fell whil?it racing <it the Westland meeting, and was killed? llis rider, E. Griffen, escaped with a shaking. Curator, who recently won the Greymonth Cno drooped dead' shortly after running in the principal event on the second tiny of tho same meeting, Judging by recent displays John Bnnyan is nn overrated horse. He boat a weak lot at the Waikouaiti meeting, but appears to he anchored in fair company. South Canterbury meeting, and ran at tho C am am meeting with an enlarged hock. Ha failed to see out either of his races. Five of the field in the X.O.J.C. President's Handicap carried penalties. Apart Loin such races as the Melbourne and S.Z. Cup, this would appear to be a record. The well-known mar» 'Replete is at present with an excontiomallv fine foal at foot got bv All Red. whose stock win praise from all tlv so who make their acquaintance. p, J. R ait on. who has had a rim of luck with Kohinocr. recently mu-chased Mvrtle Palm, and evidently intends becoming a patron of tho light harness sport. The Wyndham Racing Glob's annual meeting proved a very successful gathering, and it is quite evident tho fixture is growing more and more popular with the racing public. Mumura was withdrawn from his enrragemsnts .at Oamarii owing to striking himself whilst working on tho track during the afternoon preceding tho opening of tho meeting. Nominations for the Forbury Park Trotting Club's meeting are due on January 17. The club is hanging up a richly-endowed programme, which should win a libera! patronage from horse-owners. L O. King is riding with great vi goat present. He had hard work to get a short head win at the Waikouaiti meeting on OH, and it was only by vigerous horsemanship that Foil scored at Oamfiru. Tho G-ore Racing Club has received ver v (satisfactory nominations for their summer meeting, set down to take place on the 17th end 12th mat, The acceptances

for the first day are duo on January 13. Band Pose was only produced once at Oamaru, when she was sent out -a good second favourite in the Waitaki Handicap. She. however, only got as far as the post owing to getting left when the barrier rose. The Southland Racing Club gave IGoOsovs in stakes at their recent meeting. The totalisators registered over Sl.OOOsovs, and a profit of about lOOOsovs was maao after paying 577&dvs in Government tax. Clanraena showed signs of lameness in one of her knees after running second to Mv Lawyer in the, Flying Handicap at Oamaru, and hence was not amongst the runners on tho second day of the meeting. News comes from Australia of the death of Heather Bell, after foaling a filly to Hautboy. Heather Bell, who was bred m 1887 by th© late Dr Prins. was by Albany A thole, by Blair Athol—Florence Macarthy. My Lawyer was quite the hero of the Oamaru meeting. The game son of Blackstone and Emmeline won both hts races in a very convincing manner, and was sent out a strong favourite each time ho faced tho barrier. , . Kc.ro Noble (ran disappointingly at Wingatui and Oamaru. He appears to have trained off. and there is only a remote chanco of him being sent to the Wellington metting, where he lias been allotted 7.5 in the O'up. , , Ocmtenement, Buff O'&uiitl-c't, King Try were submitted to auction during the currency of the North Otago meeting, but failed to find new owners. B. ME'ldowrey is now in charge of Mr H. Uuunii slmm’o team. . Despite the fact that Pilgrims Way causes his trainer a good deal of trouble, tie continues to prove himself one of the mod brilliant hotf.es we have. Pilgrims Way suffers from bad knees, and is always more or less amiss in them. £d In ISOS his fee was £3B. in 1910 it was £9S, and in 1911 it waa 200 guineas For 1912 owners uro paying 300 guineas, and for 1913 the fee is 400 guineas! He has advanced from .£9 to 400 guineas in eight years. —Waiju, who ran two good but unlucky races at Wingatui, was sent a solid favourite for the Wyndham Cup. and won in good -style. The win wtlb due to the consistently-running gelding, who is handled in a sportsmanlike manner and invariably gives his backers a ■rood run for their money. The Ki 1 cbera-n—Ambush filly Fougasse displayed a fair amount of pace in her races at Oam-ii.ru. She was short-headed in one race a and' ran a fair third m the other. Tim-e in each event wa-a fairly fla«t considerino- the state of the going, and she may do better before the season ends. Sydney Tattersall’s Club has had its rent raised for the use of Rnndwick raceon race days. Hitherto the amount dialled for New Year s Day was TfioO and for the ordinary Saturday £350; but an A J C derision has increased the figures to £IOOO and £COO respectively. The announcement that Mr J. &. has cold 1700 acres of the Eldershe Ddato to the Government seems to sound the death knoll of the famous stud. It- is understood that the portion included in the above area will be cut up for settlement, and offered to the public in the space ot a few wcok- — The splendid form exhibited by v-01a... rs Chorus draws further attention to the value of Gipsy Grand mares. Gipsy Grand wens unquestionably a high-class has not left anything near so good os himself He however, appears to bo making amends by getting some goed producing Harley’s starting at the North Ota"o was an improvement on what he dianlavod at the W-aikouaiti meeting. At Oamaru he had a fw bad horses to handle and some starts were marred by horses getting left probably more through their own wayvmrd-n-oas than by incapability on the part of j thian 32 horses which coloured ! on the card for the first day at Oamam Iliad the scratching pen put through their i names. Still the fields which faced tho ! starter were fairly strong, and the bet-ing I returns amounted to considerably more than ! double that recorded at both days of lust i season’s spring meeting. -Three-year-olds that have been much in the public eve during the present season are handicapped as follows m the Yrihngton Cup. one and a-balf miles;-Counterfeit 8.,, Masterpiece 8.2, Miscount 7.13. Midnight Sun 7 13 Most peop’c would pick one to start a ©olid favourite if the quartette fought a r-aoe amongst themselves. H B. S]xirke-.s. who has won races on Koval Fusileer, Land look. Gladstone, Quadroon and other North Island horses, has decided to settle in Dunedin, and contemplates attending the various meetings. He can go to scale at 7.5 with two or three days notice, and at that handy weight should soon get a fair amount of riding. There is a general opinion amongst horseowners and trainers that the acceptance fees attached to tho North Otago Jockey Cb-V----programme are too high. They press rather heavily on those with four or five horses mnning at the meeting, and the club would greatly enhance tho popularity of their meetings if they made a reduction. The forthcoming dispersal rale of the Eldcrslie Stud was a much-discussed topic at the recent Oamaru meeting, and ro much interest is being fukui <n the sale that it will not bo surprising to find a fairly largo muster at the ringside. The 'catalogue is a lengthy one. and provides ample opportunity for picking up some blood stock. The trotting event s on the Southland Racing Chib’s programme as usual attracted large fields. There seems to be a growing tendency to farm these events with the -aid of maiden performers who are practically given the limit, and unless an -alteration is made some of the owners will get tired of chasing the hot goods served up occasionally. After a long absence from public life Oiyoi made his reappearance at the Oamaru meeting, whore .he ran in tho principal event on each dav’s card. The son of Stepniak looked bright and healthy, but rather too big to run up to form. lie. however, pulled up well, and may be found training into winning vein before tho season ends. \ writer in Bailey’s Magazine says: “R Wcolfon thinks Lomond a. long wav the fiest horse lie has ever, had through his hards, and bo is more anxious to win the Derby than bo has ever been to win any race. Wootton, son., is going back to Australia at the end of next year, and ho expects it will ho Frank W cotton's last year of riding.” The North Ota go Jockey Club are thoroughlv satisfied with the result of holding a meeting at the New Year. Tho new dates proved far more popular with the public and owner®, than the old-time Gctol>er fixturca and but for an unfortunate postponement tho Ganmm Club would have held a meeting which would undoubtedly have proved a.n easy record for th© White City. Tho well-known fencer Stay boy. who has l>een a frequent winner over hurdles, and shaped well over big country at ifio last Grand National meeting, is in the market at, 50 guineas. The hors© is guaranteed sound, and wdl be subjected to a veterinary examination if required. The owner’s reason for soiling is a lack of stable room, and at

the figure the horse should soon find a new owner. The North. Otago Jockey Club were unfort uua.te in losing the services of several horses nominated at their meeting owing to their going more or le. ; s amiss. Gold r‘iu injured one oi hie legs whilst racing at Wingatui, Gienfield broke down, and Nikon, Taanhauser, and Champagne wore amongst those put out of training after being nominated Milo is another that broke down at Wingatui. The sterner sex have held their own very well in the Canterbury Derby, as Nightfall, Bluefire, and Fiorrie are the only fillies that have won the Blue Ribbon at Riccarton sine# Calumny scored in 1872. At Auckland, whors they started their classic in 1875 (the Can* terbury Derby was first run in 1862), <h« winners have been Counterfeit, Gladsome* Mias Delaval, Stepfeldt, Tigridia, Venus, Transit, and Poi. The Stepniak—Faraway mare Bliss it nicely treated at Wellington. She won tht C.J.C. Criterion with 8.3 in Imin 26 4-osec, and scored decisively. Blits now meets Nyland, who acted as runner-up, on 511* worse terms over a furlong less ground. Effort finished third, and is dropped 41b, and through her Nylond has a bit. the besl of the deal. Bliss is also engaged in th« Thompson Handicap with 7.9. Some owners object to clubs claiming tho right to have winner® rehandt-apoed after a win, and prefer the fixed penalty, bo* causa they know exactly what to expect m the event of a win. At Oamam Icilma W3j» sent up 201 b in the Windsor Handicap aftes his win in the Trial Stakes. The programme provided for a 101 b penalty, but the handicapper exercised the rehandic.apping condition attached to the programme, and tho horse was put up an additional 101 b. > The Obligado gelding Icilma, who won a double on the second day at Oamia.ru, baa improved a good deal in appearance since he won at the Kurow meeting in October last. Icilma beat Quota (giving 21b) over four furlongs in 50 l-ssec at Kurow, and oa the latter afterwards won at the D.J.C. spring meeting, the form gave the Obligado gelding a decided cliance at Oamaru—particularly when it was noticed that a big improvement had been made in his condition - .

The French race-courses may shortly troduce a very simple method of controlling tlio judge’s -decision by photography. This innovation was tried at Zellick. in Belgium-, and proved completely .successful. A light green oo'rd, stretched across the coarse in. front of the winning post, operates a snapshot as the first horse’s head touchy it. The horses are photographed automatically ae they pass the post. At Zelliok the judge declared a dead heat. A few minutes afterwards the developed photograph pro\ eel that he was correct. . Since Stepmeter has been displaying winning form it is interesting to recall that hia half-brother by Charlemagne II was passed out of the ring at. the November sales, when the bidding hung at 100 guineas The Charlemagne ll— Demeter colt was a power-ful-looking youngster of medium size, and. despite the fact that he acts well in the paddock, there was apparently not sufiicient money about to procure him a new owner. No doubt some of those who liked the co.t «» appearance will now regret they did not bid on with more courage. . - Palisade is reported to have been iso a 1 ‘or something in the neighbourhood of four centuries. It is understood that the price-quoted to a prospective buyetr was 45'Oeovg, and probably the first-mention-cd! figniro would ba about the price paid for the colt, who becomes a stable companion of Soldiers Chorus and Feodor. The price received for Pahmde-. and ako tor Palette, bred by the eame gen-' tlemian, strongly suggests that on * small- scale can be turned into a profitable* business if two or three well-bred matrons demonstrate that their produce has the gift ° f _ P FoU P n <fie winner of the Maiden Plate at Oanmru. was got by Martian from Assegai, by Benzoin from Corselet, by Cuirassier (brother to Trenton), from Rubina, the dia-m of Machine Gun. Foil is not a particularly smart beginner, and won her race by making a generous answer when vigorously called upon in the last furlong. The Martians appear to want a little age os a rule, although Danube won the Welcome, and seems to contradict what appears to be a growing opinion amongst trainers. Still, as a gen-', eral rule, Dio stock have not come early, and probably staying will be their forte on the turf. It will be remembered that although Martian himself was a briliant horse he was also claimed to be one of the best st avers over seen at R and wick. Two voung mares in Kora and .Pedometer (sisters to- Stepmeter) are amongst those to go under the hammer at the dispersal of the Eldcrslie Stud. Pcdomeier was foaled in 1906. and Korn in 1907. The former has been sorted by V-arco-, and latter by Charlemagne 11. Kora's pedigree, by the way, is erroneously given in tha catalogue, which makes the obvious mistake of returning St-epniflk a= a son of Wallace. The table has got mixed up, 1 nt Pedometer’s pedigree is correct, and as it also applied to Kora, the mistake can be seen at a glance. The mares carry a double strain -of Musket through two of the best descendants in Wallace and Stepniak, and that important factor in their pedigree should make them very valuable for the paddock. —lt is not -always wise to pay too much attention to the winners, hut a glance at some of the losers may pay those with ft retentive - memory. Amongst the losers' at Ofuneru was a two-year-old named Baritone that wxis green as the flag of on Id Oirekuid when sent out to race. On the first day he whipped round and ran the reverse way when the barrier rose, but he honped out the second day and paced with Peppin, May Dalrymple, and the others for a couple of fur-, longs. Baritone was got by Finland from De Murska, -and is consequently an aptlynamed youngster. De Murska was got by Gipsy Grand from lima (dam of Obsono), by Stepniak from Ranee Kuna, and is consequently one of the Mermaid family, so. that it is not at nil strange to find Baritone showing speed, although showing stagefright when first facing the starting barrier—which one might term the footlights of the tnrf. The distribution of racing fixtures in the metropolitan area in Sydney for 1912 proviflea for 20 days at Randwick, of which the Australian Jocke-v Club holds 1-t. Tsftersall’a Cbih four, and Citv TattersaU’s Club two. Rosehill has been allotted 13 days, Canterbury Park end M-ooreficld nine days oach.p Warwick Farm eight days, and Hawke.s-bury Race Club two davs. Within the same areas the pony and galloway racing clubs have 73 days’ racing, of which 19 hove been allotted to A.scot. and 18 each to Victoria Park. Kensington, and Rooeberv. The p repond 0~-an-oe of ponv and galloway fixtures entail clashing of dafe.a -with Mcorefiel-d on January - 6 February 10. March 9. June 29 August 31, November 2 and 30; with Rosehill on Mav 2 0, June 24. August 17. November 16. and December 14; with Canterbury Park on February 3. March 2. May 4, July 13, end Rcptem> Ivor 7; and with Warwick Fa.tm on Jim© 8, July 6, August 8 and 20 and December 7. The publication of the handiompa and acocpfance» on the first day of the 'North Otiaga Jockey Club’s meeting prior to the two day*